is, however strong reason to believe that he visited Corinth at an early period. The name of Peter
as founder or joint founder is not associated with any local church save the churches of Corinth,
Antioch or Rome, by early ecclesiastical tradition. It may be considered as a settled point that he
did not visit Rome before the last year of his life; but there is satisfactory evidence that he and Paul
were the founders of the church at Rome, and suffered death in that city. The time and manner of
the apostle’s martyrdom are less certain. According to the early writers, he suffered at or about the
same time with Paul, and in the Neronian persecution, A.D. 67,68. All agree that he was crucified.
Origen says that Peter felt himself to be unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his
Master, and was therefore, at his own request, crucified with his head downward. The apostle is
said to have employed interpreters. Of far more importance is the statement that Mark wrote his
Gospel under the teaching of Peter, or that he embodied in that Gospel the substance of our apostle’s
oral instructions. [Mark, Gospel Of] The only written documents which Peter has left are the First
Epistle— about which no doubt has ever been entertained in the Church— and the Second, which
has been a subject of earnest controversy.
Peter, First Epistle Of
The external evidence of authenticity of this epistle is of the strongest kind and the internal is
equally strong. It was addressed to the churches of Asia Minor which had for the most part been
founded by Paul and his companions, Supposing it to have been written at Babylon, (1 Peter 5:13)
it ia a probable conjecture that Silvanus, By whom it was transmitted to those churches, had joined
Peter after a tour of visitation, and that his account of the condition of the Christians in those districts
determined the apostle to write the epistle. (On the question of this epistle having been written at
Babylon commentators differ. “Some refer it to the famous Babylon in Asia, which after its
destruction was still inhabited by a Jewish colony; others refer it to Babylon in Egypt, now called
Old Cairo; still others understand it mystically of heathen Rome, in which sense ’Babylon’ is
certainly used in the Apocalypse of John.”—Schaff.) The objects of the epistle were—
•To comfort and strengthen the Christians in a season of severe trial.
•To enforce the practical and spiritual duties involved in their calling
•To warn them against special temptations attached to their position.
•To remove all doubt as to the soundness and completeness of the religious system which they had
already received. Such an attestation was especially needed by the Hebrew Christians, who were
to appeal from Paul’s authority to that of the elder apostles, and above all to that of Peter. The
last, which is perhaps the very principal object, is kept in view throughout the epistle, and is
distinctly stated (1 Peter 5:12) The harmony of such teaching with that of Paul is sufficiently
obvious. Peter belongs to the school, or to speak more correctly, is the leader of the school, which
at once vindicates the unity of the law and the gospel, and puts the superiority of the latter on its
true basis-that of spiritual development. The date of this epistle is uncertain, but Alford believes
it to have been written between A.D. 63 and 67.
Peter, Second Epistle Of
The following is a brief outline of the contents of this epistle: The customary opening salutation
is followed by an enumeration of Christian blessings and exhortation to Christian duties. (2 Peter
1:1-13) Referring then to his approaching death, the apostle assigns as grounds of assurance for
believers his own personal testimony as eye-witness of the transfiguration and the sure word of
prophecy—that is the testimony of the Holy Ghost. vs. (2 Peter 1:14-21) The danger of being misled
by false prophets is dwelt upon with great earnestness throughout the second chapter, which is
frankie
(Frankie)
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